Fawaz Mohammed Qteifan, a child kidnapped in Daraa province, southern Syria, three months ago was released by his captors late on Saturday after his family handed over a 400 million Syrian lira ($110,000) ransom, according to reports.
Eight-year-old Fawaz’s captors left him outside a pharmacy in the city of Nawaa to be collected after they received the money, local activist Mohammed al-Hourani told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
The Syrian interior ministry on Saturday evening shared a photo of Fawaz at a local police station and said he was in good health.
Fawaz was walking to school in his hometown of Ibtaa on 2 November when he was abducted by two masked men on a motorbike.
Read Also: Kidnapping & Torture of Fawaz Sparks Outrage, Ransom Deadline Looms
The kidnappers had demanded the boy’s family hand over 500 million Syrian liras ($138,000) in ransom money by Wednesday.
The boy’s uncle, renowned actor Abd Al-Hameed Qteifan, said on the day of the deadline that the family had been able to raise enough money to secure his release.
The uncle posted a video to Instagram on Saturday evening, showing a dazed-looking Fawaz being comforted by his relatives.
Concern for Fawaz’s wellbeing spiked last week when a video circulating on social media appeared to show the boy pleading for mercy while being beaten by his captors.
However, fact-checking site Verify-Sy said the video showed another Syrian child being beaten in Greece in 2016.
Kidnappings for ransom are becoming more frequent in Daraa province, a former opposition stronghold taken over by the Assad regime in July 2018.
The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
